Combination case



Feb. 21, 1928. I

E, H. BALMFORTH COMBINATION CASE Filed April 13. 1927,

I77 vefli'oi' Ezra H. Ba Zmforfk 6 I a $l'orfiagy V Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA H. BALMFORTH, F MEIDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL WARD MANUFACTURING messacnusnr'rs.

COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01' comnmArIoN case.

Application filed April 13, 1927. Serial No. 188,588.

For the greater convenience of the card player, various combination cases or sets adapted to contain in a unitary package both the decks of cards themselves and the necessary accessories of the game, as score pads, pencils, markers, counters, etc.,have been devised.

Mypresent invention relates to th s gene eral lass of cases, but involves certain features of construction and arrangement whereby the decks of cards and the accessories of the game are not only compactly packaged but are capable of being most conveniently brought into. use.

To this end, my case comprises a foldable cover or casing forming member, one fold section of which carries a card holder adapted to fold into and out of a compartment in an adjacent fold section of the. cover member by and in the opening and closing movements of the cover member and when opened presenting the deck or decks of cards in a'position adapted, for convenientremoval. The same opening movement of the cover member generally also brings into position a score pad and pencil mounted on the inner face of another fold section of the cover member, the arrangement being such that this section of the cover member an serves as a writing foundation or backing for the ad when the case is open, and the pad folding down over the card holder whenthe case is closed. i As illustrative of my invention, I have 85 shown in the accompanyin form of case which I have found satisfactory in use and well adapted to the requirements of manufacture.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a case in accordance with the case open.

' Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof showing the case artl closed.

Fig. 3 1s a orizontal section showing the case completely closed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and particularly illustrating the mounting of the score pad.

I have indicated at A the cover or casing-forming member generally of my com bination case. This member may be of card board or like-material of suflicient strength and stiffness and may be covered with any my invention and showing drawings a suitable material, as leather or fabric. The cover member is sha ed to provide, when folded along the indicated lines of fold 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively a top wall 5, a side wall 6, a bottom wall I, a side wall 8, and a fastening flap .9 adapted to be overfolded upon the top wall 5 and to be detachably fastened thereto, as by the interengagin ball and socket fasteners 10 and 11 mounted respectively on the outer face of the wall 5 and inner face of the flap 9.

When folded along the indicated lines of fold 1, 2, 3 and 4, the cover or casing-forming member A defines a generally rectangular, open-ended container, the ends and one sidewall of which are closed and the structure generally stiffened by a compartment defining member B mounted on the inner face of the bottom wall 7. The member B is of enerally rectangular form, presenting spaced end walls 12 and 13 and a connectin I side wall ,14 disposed at or about the 0 d line 3, the side wall opposite the wall 14 being omitted to permit a card holder, indicated generally at H, mounted on the inner face of the side wall 6 between the fold lines 1 and 2 to be folded into the compartment 15 thus provided by the memberB.

The holder H is shaped to provide with the underlying portion of the wall 6 an open-top ed container within which one or more dec s of playin cards 0 may be endwiseinserted from a ove. As here shown, such holder comprises spaced end walls 17 and connectingside walls .18, and the enclosure thus defined is divided approximatel midway between its ends as by the divi ing block 19 to provide a pair of pockets adapted each "to accommodate a full deck of cards.

The parts are so proportioned that when the filled holder H is swung down into its compartment 15, both it and the decks of cards clear the walls 12, 13 and 14. of the compartment-forming member B and vare received snugly within and rotected by such walls, as shown in 3. en swung upwardly out -of said compartment, the holder moves to the erected position shown in Fig. 1 "and remains in sue erected position until the case is again closed, thus presenting the cards at the most convenient position for withdrawal and use.

CIl

To the inner face of the top wall 1 of the cover member A, I secure such accessories as may be most desirable, depending upon the game being played. In the present embodiment, the case is intended for a bridge setand hence I provide with it a bridge score pad S and a pencil P.- The score pad includes a tongue of cardboard or the likeadapted to be inserted into the upper tion by and in the opening and closing movements of the top wall 1 of the case.

When fully opened, as shown in Fig. 1, the

case wall 1 serves as a backing and writing foundation for the pad.

The pencil P is removably mounted on the top wall 1 adjacent the score meansof a simple loop 22 carried by the inner face of said wall.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that I provide a case in which the card holder is normally concealed within and covered and protected by the cover member when the case is closed and is automatically brought into a ing movement of the case. This is also true of the score pad with the, further feature of advantage that when the score card is exposed for use it need not be and is not intended to be removed from the. case with consequent liability of forgetting to replace the pad when the game is finished.

It willalso be noted that when thecase is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, the card holder, score pad and pencil all compactly store in the compartment 15 with the score pad overlying the card holder.

Various modifications in the-construction and arrangement of my combination case may obviously be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, if-

within the limits of the appended claims.

What I'therefore claim and desire to see cure by Letters Patent is:

1. In --a case of the class described, a casing-forming member ada ted to be folded along spaced .lines of fo (1 to define when closed a substantially tubular enclosure, the inner face of one of the foldsections havlng a compartment defining member closing the ends of the. tubular enclosure defined by said casing-forming member when sald cover member is folded uponits'elf, and a card holder mounted on the inner face of l adjacent fold section and adapted to fold into and out of said compartment by and in the opening and closing vmovements of the casing-forming member..

2. In a case of the class descrlbed, a

pad by position wherein the cards may be. withdrawn therefrom by and in the openfold sections,

casing-forming member I adapted to be folded along spaced lines of fold to define when closed a substantially tubular enclosure, the inner face of one of the fold sections having a compartment defining member closing the ends of the tubular enclosure defined by said casing-forming member when said member is folded upon itself, a score pad mounted on the inner face of the fold section of the casing-forming member opposite that section carrying the compartment-defining member, and a card holder mounted on the inner face of a fold section of the casing-forming member intermediate of said above-named sections, said card holder and pad folding into and out of said compartment by and in the opening "pad mounted on the inner face of one of said fold sections, the inner face of an opposite fold section having a compartment defining member presenting closures for the ends of said enclosure when the casingforming member is folded upon itself, and a card holder mounted on a fold section intermediate of said above-named fold sections, said card holder and ing into and out of said compartment definber generally and when folded into said compartment the score pad being superposed upon said card holder.

4.-In a case of the adapted to be mg movements of the'casing-forming memscore pad .folding member by and in the opening and closfolded along spaced lines of fold to define a i substantially tubular enclosure, a score pad -mounted on the inner face of one of said fold sections, a three sided compartment defining member presenting closures for the ends and one side of said enclosure when the casing-forming member is folded u on itself, and a card holder mounted on a old section intermediate of said above-named Said card holder and score pad folding into and out of said compartment defining member by and in the opening and closing movements of the casing-forming member generally and when folded into said compartment the score pad being superposed upon said card holder.

5. A case'of the class described, comprising a casing-forming member foldable along spaced lines of fold .to define when closed a substantially tubular enclosure presenting a top wall, a side wall, a bottom wall, a side wall and an overlapping closure flap, said top wall constructed'on its inner face to receive play accessories, a card holder mounted on theinner face of said 'sidewalhtheinnetfacaofaaidbowumiylll vengilllolmlu'lndintolndmltof having a. compartment defining munbel sud memb and inin "tiofito'reoeivu snidcudblamesnsonnnidelomraflnp holder and ties when the easing- 1nd top wall, respedivel of the casing- 5 forming memberis 'foldedto closed ponforming member for the case m 15 tion, said eoln fitment-defining member doaedpoaitio'm. presenting end ensure portions for In testimony whereof I, afix my sign:- of the tubularenelosureandtbeopmmg'ture. r and closing movements of said casing-foul) 1o ing member automatically carrying andznzm H. nnmon'm. 

